


comfort

by naminom



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: (figurative) angel Kagami, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Self-Doubt, akashi acts emo half the fic and they hug for the other half, characters in their late twenties/early thirties, oreshi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4046173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naminom/pseuds/naminom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short future AU fic, where Kagami enrolled at Teiko and Akashi never went insane.<br/>After a particularly hard week, Akashi has a moment of weakness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	comfort

Akashi heaves a tired sigh as he locks the apartment door and places the keys on the countertop. His fingers raise to pinch the bridge of his nose and he takes a moment to just breathe. He should not be home. There is too much work for him at the office. One of his district managers had stolen some of his future marketing strategies and sold them to a rival company ( _'He will pay dearly,'_ Akashi silently promises), the new intern had spilled coffee on one of their foreign clients and almost lost his company an important transaction, and his sales division had just been generally incompetent this past week, piling up small mistakes that Akashi still needs to deal with. To further sour his day, his great aunt called again from Kyoto, trying to arrange him an omiai with another faceless woman of 'noble status'. When he refused, she went on a half-hour tirade about duty and responsibility. If Akashi had been less of a gentleman he would have probably hung up on her mid-rant.

And on top of everything that weighed him down, came the crushing news of Yukimaru's death.

He tries to rub the fatigue out of his eyes. No, he shouldn't be at home, there is still much to be done… but Akashi is at the end of his rope and hasn't seen his lover in nearly a week. Kagami is his anchor, his refuge, the only person in his life who can take all the worries away with one wide, toothy grin. And at the moment Akashi desperately needs his comforting presence to be able to function again.

The redhead takes his shoes off, hangs up his overcoat, and loosens his tie to undo the top couple of buttons on this shirt. The fabric around his neck feels like a noose, he's suffocating. Akashi takes the tie off altogether and crams it in his pocket, disregarding the probability that it will wrinkle. Yet the sensation of lacking air will not go away. He takes a deep breath and heads towards the bedroom as quietly as possible. It's almost midnight and if his lover is sleeping, he doesn't want to chance waking him up. Kagami is probably tired from a long day at the station and Akashi will not impose on his rest, especially for something trivial and selfish like seeing him for a few minutes before he goes back to the office.

He gently pushes the door open to see Kagami curled up on their bed, hugging a pillow to his chest and drooling onto the sheets. Akashi can't suppress a fond smile and feels able to breathe again. He walks closer to sit at Taiga's side and simply watches him. He wants to reach out and push his lover's bangs away to see him better, wants to kiss him gently on the forehead and wipe the drool from his face, but instead clasps his hands together tightly to stop himself. Kagami isn't a light sleeper by any means but Akashi still won't risk it. Just being near him should suffice for the moment, even though he feels lost without his lover's familiar warmth enveloping him.

Back in middle school, Kise used to say that Kagami had been an angel sent to them to keep their group from disbanding. While Akashi wouldn't entertain such childishly romantic concepts, he did agree that the redhead's appearance had carried a positive impact.

When Kuroko joined them in the first string, he sealed a strong sense of camaraderie between the six of them. He was both a mediator and a silent companion, and the team had taken to him immediately. They played and enjoyed basketball together; that is, until their individual talents started to develop beyond their ability to cope. At that time, the shadow's weak presence was not enough to keep them close anymore.

Each member of their group had started to carve his own path by the time Kagami transferred to Teiko in their second year - and not a moment too late. Somehow, his arrival pulled them back together again. Kagami proved to be the worthy opponent Aomine needed, his jumping power challenged Midorima's shots, and he even formed the unlikeliest of friendships with Murasakibara, over food of all things. If it hadn't been for Kagami's homemade cakes, Atsushi would have probably given up on practise altogether. Taiga's optimism and friendly demeanour made the game fun again, and together with Kuroko, he was their moral support when everyone else had turned their backs. He lessened a burden off Akashi's shoulders in what had probably been the most stressful time of his youth.

All their former teammates loved Taiga dearly, he could have chosen any of them... and Akashi knows Kagami had a soft spot for Kuroko. So at the end of their final year in middle school, when Kagami pulled the captain aside and asked if he could join him at Rakuzan ("Their power forward is retiring, right? I could be useful"), Akashi mentally apologised to their phantom player and seized the opportunity to take Kagami for himself. Together they won the nationals three years in a row, and somehow, they found warm companionship in each other even though their personalities and interests had never been similar.

However, these days Akashi cannot, for the life of him, understand why Kagami remains by his side. Since inheriting his father's corporation, his patience had grown thin and his free time had run short. He had been neglecting his tall lover and their time together. Akashi can't remember when they last laid together on the couch to simply watch basketball. He can barely remember the last time he'd tasted Kagami's exquisite cooking, before he stopped coming home for dinner. He can, however, painfully remember how they haven't had sex in more than a month. Akashi had been too tired, too stressed, and his gentle lover never pushed after a refusal. _'I haven't so much as kissed him in two weeks…'_

Akashi ruefully admits to himself that Kuroko would have probably been the better choice. Tetsuya would have never let his light suffer. How long will Kagami continue to stay until he decides a silent apartment and a cold bed are not enough? In a brief moment of spite, he wishes his lover had been a shallow man; at least then he would stay for his wealth. That seems to be all Akashi can offer lately. When the venom passes, though, it leaves him feeling even guiltier. He can now add 'disrespect' to his list of faults towards Kagami, and that brings a foul taste to the back of his throat.

Akashi turns away and rests his face in his hands, sighs in frustration and rubs at his eyes again. The last thing he needs on top of his business issues right now is to count his failures as Kagami's partner. It is past midnight, he needs to contact his marketing team and devise a strategic plan to renegotiate the contract they almost lost, so he can have it ready in the morning. He tries to run some scenarios in his mind but is interrupted by some shifting behind him. Before he manages to turn around, two muscular arms circle around his torso and a warm, broad chest he knows all too well settles against his back.

"Hey, you're home..." comes the sleepy voice. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Kagami murmurs into his hair, placing a kiss at the top of his head.

As much as Akashi loves the feeling of Taiga's strong, comforting arms around him, he also feels disappointment at himself for disturbing his lover's sleep. _'I can't seem to do anything right today,'_ he thinks sardonically. Akashi turns, intending to urge his love back to sleep, to tell him that he just stopped by to see his face and should return to the office, but when he sees Kagami's dazed smile the words simply won't form.

"You ok?" Kagami asks in a deep, but gentle voice. A frown is starting to form on his face as he stares into Akashi's troubled red eyes and reaches to brush tanned fingers against his cheek. The shorter redhead takes a shaky breath and buries his face in Kagami's shoulder, holding him tight. Kagami's frown deepens at the slender man in his arms, and he gently rubs Akashi's tense back.

"C'mon, tell me what happened," Kagami asks, and Akashi's walls crumble. He tells his lover about failed business negotiations, about his relatives' disapproval of his lifestyle, about the death of his childhood companion, about every expectation he fails to meet.

"My father would be disappointed," he laughs bitterly, and calls himself a coward for not being man enough to also admit the guilt at being less than than the perfect partner Kagami deserves. Akashi doesn't feel worthy of his embrace, so he tries to untangle himself from Kagami's arms. His lover, however, won't permit it. The taller redhead holds Akashi that much tighter and tries to keep his heart from breaking for the man in his arms.

And, as always, Kagami manages to comfort him with the unlikeliest of words.

"Your dad was probably born disappointed," he scoffs. "How your mom put up with him I'll never know."

If it hadn't been an arranged marriage, Akashi thinks she probably wouldn't have.

"Seriously, you can't hold yourself to an impossible standard Akashi, you're human. One mistake is not the end of the world, and other people have no right to dictate your life. So what if you lose a client? It's just one client, it won't bankrupt your company." Kagami's fingers gently pet his hair, and Akashi starts to relax at the gesture and at the supportive words he so desperately needs to hear. 'Human'. That's not how others usually described him.

"And really, that aunt of yours needs to mind her own damn business. Though she's probably bitter you have such a great boyfriend while she's stuck at home with her cats." Kagami winks at him, and at that, Akashi finally manages a small but genuinely amused chuckle. Kagami flashes a quick smile back at him, and leans in to kiss him softly on his lips. Akashi's fingers tremble, fisted in Kagami's shirt. He'd missed him so much…

"I'm so sorry about Yukimaru… I'll help you make arrangements, you don't have to do it by yourself." He frames his face in his hands and looks at him seriously. "I'm here for you." He leans closer to kiss him on his cheek. "I love you." Another kiss, at his temple. "And I'm so proud of you." He continues to pepper kisses on Akashi's face. "You are strongest person I know."

Kagami starts to rub circles on his back again and Akashi tries to keep his eyes from watering because of the praise and tenderness. "Though I wish you would just take it easy sometimes, you know? I hate seeing you so tired." Akashi nods at him.

"Hey, lie down for a minute," Kagami murmurs and Akashi sobers up slightly. "No, I need to go back to work, I have-" "Seijuurou…" With the sad way Kagami looks at him, Akashi discards all his protests. He can't deny his lover something this small, not on top of everything else he failed to provide lately. He looks away and gives a small nod.

Kagami helps him take his suit jacket off and unbuttons his cuff links. Akashi doesn't even care where they end up placed, he just wants back in Kagami's arms. The taller redhead lowers them to the bed and embraces his lover tightly. They spend a few minutes locked in each others' embrace, and Akashi can't think of any other place he'd rather be.

"Call in sick tomorrow," Kagami tries softly.

"I am chairman of the board and CEO, Taiga, I can't simply 'call in sick', " Akashi murmurs into Kagami's warm chest, content and grateful for the refuge.

"You also own the damned place, you should be able to take a break once in a while," Kagami grumbles. He's cute when he's annoyed. "I thought big shots like you spend their time playing golf on a yacht or something."

"You can't play golf on a yacht," Akashi answers amusedly, smiling into Kagami's shirt.

"Mayuzumi can take care of everything for a day, though. You need to rest. He's good at what he does, right?"

Akashi has to agree with that. Out of all the COOs he's had, Mayuzumi is by far the most capable. He carries Akashi's orders with utmost efficiency. He never complains or asks questions. Everybody in the company hates the grey-haired man for his snark, but if there is one person Akashi would allow to run the company in his place, it would be Mayuzumi. So really, handling his affairs for a day shouldn't be a problem.

In the end Akashi nods, and relaxes completely in Kagami's embrace. "I will give him a call."

"Nah, I'll take care of it. Just rest, ok?"

Ten minutes later, Akashi is already asleep. He's breathing softly and the worry lines on his face have smoothed out. Kagami helps him out of his dress pants and shirt as gently as he can (which isn't as gently as he would like), and it's a testament to Akashi's fatigue that he doesn't wake up. He then quietly gets up to text Mayuzumi, and makes a mental note to wake up early and cook an especially nice breakfast. Maybe he will be able to convince Akashi to take a few extra days off. Kagami crawls back into bed to hold his lover in his arms, and after Akashi's hands embrace him back, he also falls asleep with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Because Akashi needs a hug.


End file.
